


Flashcards

by roxashighwind



Series: The College AU No One Asked For [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 14:06:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11037726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxashighwind/pseuds/roxashighwind
Summary: A small frown tugged at her mouth and she sighed as she came out of the stacks to see her favorite table already occupied. Before she could decide to either find a new table or ask if it would be okay to sit at the empty side of the one she’d wanted, the table’s occupant turned toward her.“Trickfoot! Are those flashcards? C’mere.” Wild, mismatched eyes stared at her, hands suddenly outstretched toward her in a grabby motion.--It's the week before finals and Pike needs to go to the library to avoid distractions and getting some last minute studying in.





	Flashcards

**Author's Note:**

> This entire thing is because of [this post](http://tarydarry.tumblr.com/post/154144199452/imagines-kash-in-a-crop-top-with-his-hair-tied-up) on tumblr. I saw it and couldn't help myself.

_ Med school can be fucking rough. _

It didn’t matter that she wasn’t even in med school proper, just in the pre-med program. It was the thought that kept running through Pike’s mind as she stumbled up the stairs in front of the library. At least her books were all in the book bag hitting her ass instead of scattered across the landing. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she mumbled to the air, and picked herself up with a sigh. If it had been the first time she’d fallen that day she might have gotten up more quickly; being the fourth fall, however, had her taking her time. She adjusted the weight of her bag across her shoulders and continued into the building, determined to get some studying done.

The scent of roasting coffee hit her as she moved through the metal detector-like gate that supposedly kept people from stealing books. Coffee smelled delicious but Pike knew that if she stopped in the little shop she’d get stuck there for at least an hour chatting with the baristas; there was too much that she needed to review to lose even an hour of study time.

She made her way through the library toward the stairs to the second floor. Her favorite area to study always took an age to get to, but was rarely disturbed. As she crested the stairs, she saw a familiar face behind the small reference desk. 

“Pike!” The girl behind the desk dug out a small box and held it out. “I’ve got your flashcards.” 

Her smile was wide and easy as she approached the desk. “Thanks JB, you’re a lifesaver. I can’t believe I left them at home.” 

“You wouldn’t have been able to find them,” JB replied, handing the box of index cards to her cousin. “They’d fallen into Grog’s gym bag and he dropped them off on the way to his late practice.”

“And you gave them to me, so thank you.” Pike made a point of dialling her smile up to eleven when she gently tapped JB’s shoulder with her free hand. “I’m gonna go cram for exams. Stop by when you’re off?”

JB’s answering smile was small, and if Pike didn’t know what to look for she wouldn’t have seen it. “Can do.” 

Pike gave her a little wave and continued toward her tucked-away study corner. As she made her way through the stacks to the tables along the far wall, she tidied a few shelves without thinking about it. A small frown tugged at her mouth and she sighed as she came out of the stacks to see her favorite table already occupied. Before she could decide to either find a new table or ask if it would be okay to sit at the empty side of the one she’d wanted, the table’s occupant turned toward her.

“Trickfoot! Are those flashcards? C’mere.” Wild, mismatched eyes stared at her, hands suddenly outstretched toward her in a grabby motion. 

That startled a chuckle out of her. “How long have you been here, Kash?” She pressed her box of index  cards into his hands and gratefully took a place at the table. “Did you sneak past JB?”

“Uhh…” He dropped heavily into his chair. It took him a few tries to get the box open. “I’ve been here since Wednesday afternoon except for when Zee made me shower?”

“Kashaw Middle-Name-Omitted Vesh! It is Saturday morning, what are you still doing here?” 

Kash looked at her, slightly confused. “Is it really?”

“You’ve been here for three days. How-”

The handwritten flashcards scatter across the table, bouncing off of Kash’s open laptop and sliding between pages of open text books. “How is it Saturday already?” he asked, voice tight with building panic.

Pike, who had been about to sit before the slight explosion of flashcards, reached across the table to take his hands in her own. “Breathe with me.” She exaggerated the in-and-out of her breathing.

“I’m not ready for lab. I’m not ready for the bio final. I’m not read-” 

“ _ Shhh _ .” She squeezed his hands, hard, to get him to shut up and look at her. “You’re fine. You’re just as good in all these classes as I am.” She kept her breathing slow and loud and obvious.

He shook his head, long hair falling in his face, but worked to get his breathing in line with hers. “Liar.” 

She rolled her eyes. “I’m here to study, not fight with you.” She continued to gently coach him until he calmed down. “Thank you. Now please, for the love of all that is sane and rational in this world, explain to me why you’re wearing that.”

Kash dropped his chin to look down his chest. The pale expanse of stomach that greeted him was not at all what he expected, and he looked back at Pike absolutely bewildered. “Uh… That would explain why it’s felt drafty in here. More than usual, anyway.”

Pike covered her mouth to stifle the bubbling giggles before she asked, “Is… is that Zahra’s?” 

He rubbed his hand over his chest, feeling the well worn cotton of the cropped shirt. “I  _ think _ so? Sure as hell isn’t mine, but it’s not like I have anything to change into.” 

She giggled, she couldn’t help it. “For what it’s worth, you pull it off alright.”

“Glowing praise,” he said with a huff. He leaned over the table to start gathering the flashcards.

Taking the opportunity as she saw it, Pike’s small hands found his exposed sides while he was distracted. “I never get to do this!” she exclaimed, voice low because they were in the library but the excitement obvious. Her fingers skated over his skin, tickling the best she could as he squirmed to get away. 

Kash smacked at her hands with the index cards he’d managed to pick up before the attack. “Stop that,” he admonished with a soft huff of a laugh. “You’re supposed to be an adult.”

“Being the Mom Friend makes it so I can do this kind of stuff even more.” She gave his sides one last poke and dropped back into her seat. She pulled her bag onto her lap to get her laptop out. “Now clean up the mess of flashcards you threw everywhere and quiz me with the green ones? Green is cell biology, just as a heads up.” 

He gathered the index cards, covered in Pike’s looping script, and separated them into piles of matching color. He sat and gathered the cell biology cards, pausing briefly to push his hair out of his face. 

“Here.” Pike pulled a bright blue hair elastic from her wrist and offered it to him. “So you can stop fidgeting.”

Though he rolled his eyes, Kash took the elastic with a small, grateful smile; his hair had been annoying him all morning. In a quick, practiced set of movements he brushed his hair back from is face and lifted it all together into a high ponytail, quickly twisted it, and used the elastic to secure the bun at the crown of his head. The cool library air hit the back of his neck and Kash let out a pleased noise.

She grinned and adjusted her laptop on the table. “That’s what I thought. Now let’s get to studying.”

Kash sighed but started to read the first card aloud.

\--

Several hours and a snack break later, Pike set the last note card on the table. “Correct! I told you that you’re going to do just fine, and I’m right!”

“And humble about it, too.” A small smile tugged at his mouth, though he tried to suppress it.

“Sorry to bother you.” JB approached the table, a thick book held to her chest. She spoke more to the book than to them. “But you told me to come over when my shift ended and we should probably go to dinner?”

Pike smiled brightly at her cousin. “Of course!” She tucked all of her index cards back into their box and slid the box into her bag. “We probably would have ended up in another loop if you hadn’t shown up just now.” 

Kash stretched, arms up and back arching against his chair; the pops as his spine and shoulders realigned were loud and satisfying. “I could use some food, I guess.” 

JB ducked her head a bit further, dark hair falling across her face. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You can come with us if-”

“Tonight’s family dinner,” Pike interrupted gently. “It’s okay to have it just be us, JB.” 

“I got plans with Zee anyway, I just remembered.” added Kash with a shrug. “Thanks though.” 

Pike flashed a grateful smile at Kash before she packed her laptop into her bag. “Tell Zahra ‘hi’ for me.” She slung her bag over a shoulder. “Ready to go?”

JB nodded and lifted a few fingers in a tiny wave at Kash. “Ready.”

“Later.” Kash began gathering his own things and paused. “Oh, wait. Want this back?” he asked, fingers touching the elastic holding his hair up.

“Keep it! I’ve got more.” Pike gave him a last wave and smile before she looped an arm around JB and bumped her with her hip. She squeezed her cousin a little and said, “There’s a box of thick and creamy mac and cheese with our names on it.”

She let out a soft chuckle as they left Kash. “Sounds good.”


End file.
